Will County employee named to state recycling task force

JOLIET – Will County Recycling Specialist Marta Keane has been appointed to a 21-member task force charged with reviewing recycling and solid waste management in Illinois. The Task Force on the Advancement of Materials Recycling was created under legislation approved in July 2012. Appointees will have a maximum of two years to analyze recycling and waste management policies, initiatives and funding in Illinois. Members will then report their findings and recommendations to the governor and General Assembly, at which time the task force will be dissolved. The task force is made up of legislators and representatives chosen by the directors of the Illinois Protection Agency and the Commerce and Economic Opportunity. Keane was appointed by the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity due to her experience and presidency of the Illinois Recycling Association. Will County Executive Larry Walsh said, “We are very proud that Marta has been named to this task force. Her dedication to the health of the environment will serve all of the state’s residents well.” The legislation, HB 4986, also establishes recycling and composting standards that each county waste management plan must meet. The Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity will be authorized to provide grants to counties and large municipalities in order to help them reach these standards. The task force’s work will include a review of: • County recycling and waste management planning; • Current and potential policies and initiatives in Illinois for waste reduction, recycling, composting and reuse; • Funding for State and local oversight and regulation of recycling activities; • Funding for State and local support of projects that advance solid waste reduction; • The proper management of household hazardous waste. The review will also include an evaluation of the extent to which materials with economic value are lost to landfills, and the group will recommend ways to maximize the productive use of waste materials through materials recycling and composting. Keane has served as Will County’s Recycling Specialist for seven years and is president of the Illinois Recycling Association. She brings nearly 25 years of experience serving in the private and public sectors to advance recycling, reuse and conservation. For additional information about Will County environmental programs, go to www.willcountygreen.com. The Will County Land Use Department is led by Curt Paddock and is under the County Executive’s office.